Not All Heroes From Earth Are Bad [EN]: Chapter 215

The College of Cardinals.

As the name suggests, it is an organization of cardinals from the Theusis Order.

The number varied from time to time, sometimes as few as 50, sometimes more than 80.

It usually maintains around 70 members, and that was the case even under Orban IV.

Currently, the College of Cardinals has 67 members.

Their rank is second only to the Pope, effectively placing them at the pinnacle of power.

Some cardinals wielded more influence than the kings of most kingdoms.

Such a College of Cardinals visited the Mariot Kingdom.

“I am Pidenzio Piola.”
“I am Benigso Dalfonso.”
“I am Caino Avino.”

Each cardinal bowed and introduced himself.

There were a total of three cardinals who came.

The number of people accompanying these three was over three thousand.

As they were all composed of high-ranking priests and holy knights, they were, in effect, a massive armed group.

“Nice to meet you. I’m Abelson Mariot.”

Abelson sat on the throne and looked down at the cardinals.

“So, what brings you here? The scale seems too large for a simple greeting.”
“We have come to ferret out [seek out and expose] heretics within the Mariot Kingdom.”

Abelson’s eyebrows twitched at the word ‘heretic’.

“Heretics?”

“Yes. As Your Majesty knows, there was an unfortunate incident in Scolbon, wasn’t there?”
“There was indeed a regrettable incident where a priest of Theusis died in an accident.”
“That was no accident.”

Cardinal Pidenzio said firmly.

“It was an act of blatant heresy, systematically harming and murdering priests of the Theusis Order.”
“Haa, I don’t know what grounds you have for saying that.”
“The evidence is right here!”

Cardinal Pidenzio held out a stack of documents.

He spoke with a confident expression.

“This is proof that a heretical group has not only been organized in Scolbon recently but has also been systematically operated.”

Abelson, who received the documents, examined them carefully.

The more she examined the contents, the more Abelson’s brow furrowed.

‘As expected… they intended to do this from the start.’

Currently, the continent is largely divided into two factions.

Those who insist on punishing the demons through war and those who believe that peace should now be made with the demons.

However, if you look at it in detail, you can see a slightly different standard.

Whether or not they support the Theusis Order.

Or, it could be seen as the Gatrein Empire and other countries.

Anyway, the important thing is that the forces calling for peace are a collection of several countries and organizations.

Naturally, their unity was bound to be weak.

Gatrein exploited that gap.

They must have planted spies long ago to gather information and plan things.

‘From the beginning, the death of the high-ranking priest must have been their doing.’

The death of the high-ranking priest.

Abelson was convinced that it was clearly a staged act by Gatrein to create discord.

Otherwise, there was no way they could have dispatched the College of Cardinals along with a large number of clergy and inquisitors as if they had been waiting for this moment.

In the end, it was a transparent act.

The other side didn’t seem to be trying to hide it.

However, the problem was that she had no choice but to be taken in, even though she knew all the details.

“I see.”

Abelson returned the related documents and continued.

“I understand that you have come to ferret out heretics. But I’m curious how that process will proceed.”
“As Your Majesty knows, the detection of heretics is the inherent authority of the Order. Therefore, there is no need to reveal the method in this place, but…”

A smile appeared on Cardinal Pidenzio’s lips for a moment.

“I will tell you for the sake of the Mariot Kingdom’s prestige and Your Majesty’s dignity.”

Abelson nodded in gratitude.

Cardinal Pidenzio continued his explanation.

“The method of detecting heretics is the proof of faith. And those who fail to prove their faith or refuse to be detected will be summarily executed.”

“What did you say…?”

Abelson’s fist clenched tightly.

“Are you saying you’re going to carry out a mass slaughter in the capital!?”

Abelson’s voice naturally rose.

It was a situation where the king of a country was furious, but the cardinals’ faces were full of composure.

“As I said, the detection of heretics is our inherent authority. And there are large-scale cult groups and demon worshipers in Scolbon.”

Cardinal Pidenzio continued without changing his expression.

“What we are doing is also necessary for the Mariot Kingdom. Is Your Majesty going to leave the demon worshipers in the kingdom alone? Or perhaps…”

His eyes flashed coldly for a moment.

“Is it true that Your Majesty is following demons, as rumored?”
“Cardinal, don’t cross the line.”

Abelson’s voice turned cold.

Cardinal Pidenzio bowed and stepped back.

No matter how great their power, this was the royal palace.

Showing excessive rudeness to the king would mean losing justification.

“I apologize. However, I must tell you that the detection of heretics will have to proceed as planned.”

“I do not allow it.”

“Should I understand that statement as turning Gatrein, or rather, the Theusis Order, into an enemy?”

“That’s…”

Abelson grits her teeth.

There is no place on the continent where the influence of the Theusis Order does not reach.

There is only a difference in degree.

Even the mighty Drasen Empire is not completely free from the Theusis Order.

And unfortunately, the Mariot Kingdom was one of the countries heavily influenced by the Theusis Order.

If the Mariot Kingdom were to become enemies with the Theusis Order, there would be a huge backlash from the believers who make up the majority of the kingdom’s population.

‘Is it unavoidable…’

Abelson let out a deep sigh.

“I understand. I authorize the detection of heretics.”
“You have made a wise decision.”

The three cardinals left the royal palace with bitter smiles.

***

A peaceful family.

They suddenly barged in.

Dirtying the floor with heavy military boots.

Tying up the whole family in the living room and rummaging through the house.

“What is this necklace?”

The inquisitor asked.

The holy knights were already surrounding the area.

The man answered in a trembling voice.

“T, that’s my grandmother’s keepsake…”

“Keepsake?”

The inquisitor’s eyebrows twitched.

“You’re lying, your voice is shaking.”

“Yes…?”

“This is not a keepsake. It is a sacred object of a cult that idolizes demons.”
“No! That’s really what my grandmother left me…. Keheok!”

A fist was slammed into the man’s stomach as he protested.

The inquisitor picked up the necklace with a look full of disgust, as if looking at a dirty bug.

“You keep denying it until the end. This is clearly a symbol of demon worship. Confiscate the evidence and hang them on the gallows.”
“No! Please save me! I can die! Just spare my family!”

The man cried desperately, but all that came back was merciless violence.

The strength of the holy knight, which ordinary people could not dare to resist.

The man and his family, covered in blood, were dragged like luggage on the side of the road in an instant.

People whispered as they watched the scene.

“I can’t believe Milo was a heretic…”
“I knew it. I knew it when he said we should make peace with the demons a few days ago.”
“That’s right! He’s actually a demon’s dog! He must have been moving under orders!”

The gazes of the people were cold.

As the full-scale detection of heretics began.

The atmosphere in the capital changed rapidly.

“The Theusis Order has to step in.”
“How can there be peace with demons? I knew they were demon worshipers a long time ago.”

In the first place, the majority of the Mariot Kingdom’s people were believers of the Theusis Order.

Not all of them called for war with the demons, but as the situation turned out like this, even those who had been neutral turned to the side of exterminating the demons.

This phenomenon was also one of the aims of the Theusis Order.

“Kkyaaaa!”

“Kyaaaa-!”

Screams echoed day and night in Scolbon.

Slaughter in the name of detecting heretics.

It was a terrible massacre.

Hundreds of innocent people died every day.

Even the slightest crime could not escape the eyes of the inquisitors.

Even if there was no crime, they would create a crime and frame them as heretics and demon worshipers.

“Once this is over, our kingdom will be quiet.”
“This can’t be helped. You should have believed in God sooner.”

The smell of blood in Scolbon gradually deepened in the cold air.

***

“Are you just going to stand by and watch? A massacre is taking place! Innocent people of the kingdom are being killed as heretics!”

A man was passionately speaking.

It was a complaint about the injustice of the inquisition that was taking place in the Mariot Kingdom recently.

Some of those gathered nodded, while others frowned.

“Ehem! You’re saying something that will cause big trouble. Watch your mouth! How can you call the legitimate process of detecting heretics a massacre!”
“Legitimate? Where is the legitimacy in this massacre!”
“I keep telling you, it’s not a massacre. Or are you perhaps a demon worshiper?”
“D, demon worshiper!? What nonsense is that!”
“Otherwise, there’s no way you’d be reacting like this right now, would you?”

The atmosphere was getting worse and worse.

“It’s obvious from the way you’re getting excited. Well, there’s no way you’d think that way unless you were a demon worshiper!”

The honorifics for each other disappeared.

“Shut up! Can’t you shut that mouth!”
“Where are you talking back to me!?”

“You son of a bitch!”

Shouts and curses were exchanged.

“I don’t know if you know that you were born from the womb of a lowly maid? Tsk tsk! That’s why you can’t talk to those with impure blood.”

Eventually, the safety of each family and the well-being of their parents were questioned.

“Ha! You must be such a noble human being that your wife is having an affair.”

“What…?”

“Didn’t you know? The rumor that you can get gold coins if you spend a night with Mrs. Decker is all over the capital! The lowly men you mentioned are lined up! You mixed your body with something lowly, so you won’t talk to your wife either, will you?”
“You son of a bitch! It’s a duel! Draw your sword right now!”

Unbelievable, but this was the kingdom’s royal court.

A place where King Abelson Mariot and the kingdom’s high-ranking nobles gathered to decide on important state affairs.

But now, it had been reduced to a level worse than a dogfight in a mere marketplace.

“Stop. Stop it!”

Abelson shouted.

However, it did not reach the nobles who were already united and communicating with their fists.

“Haa… Guards. Clean up.”

At Abelson’s words, soldiers rushed in and tore apart the tangled nobles.

“Let go! I said let go!”
“Where are the lowly things!”

The nobles continued to resist despite the soldiers’ persuasion.

The atmosphere showed no signs of calming down.

Eventually, Abelson got up from her seat.

She picked up the mace next to her and walked into the nobles.

“Haa…”

She slammed the mace in her hand on the floor with all her might.

Kwaaaang-!

The royal court vibrated with the explosion.

The nobles who were nearby rolled awkwardly on the floor due to the strong shockwave.

“…”

A moment of silence came.

Abelson opened her mouth in the silence.

“This is the last warning. The meeting is over. Disband and go back. Otherwise…”

The nobles swallowed hard.

Abelson continued with a look of coldness dripping down.

“I will know that you have refused the royal order and dispose of you immediately.”

It was an atmosphere where it would not be strange if someone’s head flew off right away.

The young king in front of them was truly a person who would break the heads of nobles.

“Keuheum, heum!”

“Let’s go quickly! Why did you say such a thing…”
“Hurry up and get out!”

The nobles hurriedly left the conference hall.

Abelson sighed deeply as she watched them leave, still not shutting their mouths.

“You’ve worked hard.”

Choi Hyun-seok, who had been watching the meeting from one side, approached.

“Haa, I’ve shown you an unsightly sight.”
“Don’t worry about it. It’s not like it’s been a day or two. I’m used to it now.”

“What…?”

Abelson’s eyes widened sharply for a moment.

Choi Hyun-seok, realizing his mistake, took a step back and smiled awkwardly.

“E, everyone has the same heart to worry about the future of the country, but it’s a big problem because their opinions don’t match! Hahaha…!”

Desperate words and awkward smiles.

Abelson decided to just let it go.

It was true that this kind of mess had not happened for a day or two, as Choi Hyun-seok said.

“The future of the country…”

Abelson’s sigh deepened even more.

“Do they even have such worries?”
“Wouldn’t they?”
“To be honest, this is a factional fight. They are only interested in preserving their positions.”

The reason why the nobles were divided into two factions was simple.

Whether to support Gatrein or Drasen.

The perspective on the current situation differs depending on which side they are connected to.

“I knew they had been exposed to the empire’s influence for a long time, but I didn’t know it would be this much.”

Abelson said with a sullen expression.

Even this was after she became king and reorganized the nobles on a large scale.

In other words, it means that this is the extent to which it has been reduced.

“I feel like I’ve become a scarecrow, not a king.”

She was so powerless.

The Theusis Order was rampaging through the capital.

The nobles were busy playing tug-of-war between the two empires.

It was happening in the Mariot Kingdom, but there was nothing she, the king of the kingdom, could do.

“Can’t we just deal with those crazy fanatics who are causing trouble in the capital?”

Abelson shook her head at Choi Hyun-seok’s question.

“That’s what they want. If that happens, the entire Mariot royal family will become heretics. Not just simple heretics, but demon worshipers—the worst of the heretics.”

“Ah…”

“If that happens, they will immediately mobilize their forces, kill me, and swallow the entire kingdom.”

Abelson said with a self-deprecating smile.

“Come to think of it, half of the nobles who were fighting earlier may have been hoping for that to happen.”
“Is there really no answer to this?”
“Well, I’ve been agonizing over it for several nights, but I don’t have any ideas that come to mind.”

As the two were deep in thought.

A familiar voice was heard.

“I have an idea.”

Sarah Dunphy walked in from one side.

Choi Hyun-seok looked at her with a surprised expression.

“When did you get here?”

“I’ve been here since the royal court turned into a street brawl.”

Abelson’s cheeks turned red at her words.

Although it was a distant past, Sarah Dunphy was once the king of a country.

Perhaps that’s why.

The fact that she showed her this side of herself was several times more embarrassing than showing it to someone else.

Sarah Dunphy didn’t seem to have any particular thoughts about this and continued to speak calmly.

“Anyway, I know what the situation is now. To put it simply, isn’t it that you can’t get rid of the internal pests because you’re looking at the great powers [Gatrein and Drasen]?”

“Yes.”

“Then why don’t you just get rid of them secretly?”

“Secretly?”

“Assassinate them.”

Choi Hyun-seok and Abelson tilted their heads.

Assassination out of the blue?

Was she really aware of the situation?

“Sarah, there are more than three thousand of them who came to the capital. If you add the ones who were originally stationed here, there are four thousand.”
“There are a hundred thousand people in the capital. It is impossible to assassinate four thousand people while avoiding these many eyes.”

Not just one or two, but four thousand.

To assassinate four thousand people while avoiding the eyes of a hundred thousand people.

This is impossible no matter what magic you use.

However, Sarah Dunphy didn’t bring up these words without any thought.

“There’s a famous saying.”

She raised the corners of her lips and smiled.

“If there are no witnesses, it’s not an assassination. It’s just an unfortunate accident.”

She was thinking of staging the largest series of ‘unfortunate accidents’ in history.