Religious Threat

Philip the butler led two clergymen into the reception room a while later.

He had already met Father Anderson, but he didn't recall Dean Leonard from his memories. He was an old man with a Mediterranean hairstyle, giving off a rather rigid impression.

Paul asked with a smile, "What brings you two gentlemen here?"

"Earl, you dared to confront the pirates and achieved victory in battle, protecting the Lord's lambs. We are here to express our gratitude to you."

"Haha, it is my duty. Is that all?"

The two clergymen exchanged glances, seeming somewhat hesitant. In the end, the older Dean Leonard spoke first, "Earl, we are here to investigate a matter. Would it be possible for the butler to excuse himself?"

"Alright, what matter requires two clergymen to investigate?" He waved his hand, signaling Philip to leave the reception room.

"We have learned that you used something resembling witchcraft in the battle against the pirates. Can you explain this to us?"

"Witchcraft? What witchcraft? I've never heard of it," Paul asked, puzzled.

"Earl, it's the kind of thing that can explode or launch projectiles that cause death and injury."

"Oh, you mean the firearms recently equipped by my army."

"Can we take a look at these things?"

He refused outright, "Absolutely not. This is a military secret. How can I let others look at it casually?"

Seeing the other party's refusal, Leonard's expression gradually became serious. "Earl, it is the natural responsibility of us clergymen to monitor signs of witchcraft activities within our diocese. I advise you to cooperate with us. If it is just ordinary weapons, we will naturally clear your name. If you refuse to cooperate, it would be unfortunate if the matter were to reach the Inquisition of the Archdiocese. It would not benefit anyone. You are probably aware of the temperament of those people. If they come down to investigate, it is very likely that innocent people will be affected."

"Are you threatening a lord? Outrageous," Paul said, quite indignant. They're really coming at me with this.

Father Anderson said with a worried expression, "Please forgive us. Although we are servants of God, we are also subjects under your rule. If we were not compelled by our duty, we would not want to make things so tense. There are precedents for lords being tempted by evil sorcerers, bringing disaster to the entire territory. At that time, not only will you harm yourself, but you will also affect innocent people."

He was very worried that this young earl would stubbornly resist them due to his youthful temperament, which would be a disaster if it attracted the people from the Inquisition.

Paul bit his lip hatefully, repeatedly struggling.

After a stalemate for a while, he finally compromised. The "Inquisition" they mentioned was not a kind bunch. The Inquisition of the Northern Diocese of the Auldo Kingdom was still manageable. His Majesty the King would not allow them to investigate his nobles recklessly for the sake of his own prestige, but it would be difficult to say if the matter were escalated to the Holy See Headquarters.

"Alright, since that's the case, I'll show you to prove my innocence. But I want to ask, if I prove that my new weapons have nothing to do with black magic, are you willing to keep the specific details of the weapons a secret for me? After all, this is a military secret, a weapon we use to deal with pirates."

"We swear in the name of God that we will not reveal it to anyone."

"Even to His Holiness the Pope?"

Father Anderson remained silent after hearing this, but Dean Leonard said after a slight hesitation, "Yes, even to His Holiness the Pope. Moreover, if anyone asks about this matter in the future, we can also vouch for the Earl."

Hearing his teacher's promise, Father Anderson also nodded.

So he called Philip and asked him to fetch the Matchlock Pistol he used for self-defense and two bottles of Gunpowder from his study.

After Philip brought them, Paul invited the two clergymen to the small garden outside the reception room to give them a demonstration, and asked the butler to notify the officers who were still in the hall for a meeting that they should not panic after hearing the gunshot.

He slowly loaded the ammunition, held the gun with both hands, aimed at a tree, and pulled the trigger under the gaze of the two clergymen.

With a "bang", the targeted tree shook, and the birds on it flew into the sky in panic.

Dean Leonard and Father Anderson clearly saw the bullet hole on the tree trunk and gasped. Such a small thing, about the size of a hand crossbow, had such great power.

Anderson looked at his teacher, and the old dean nodded, "Indeed, I didn't feel any abnormal fluctuations."

Anderson asked, "Can we take a closer look at this 'firearm'?"

"Alright, here you go. This thing is called a Firearm, and another one that can explode and injure people is called a Hand Grenade. Both of them work based on this powder that can burn violently." Paul shook another bottle of Gunpowder, "Hand Grenades are too dangerous, so I won't demonstrate them for you."

Anderson took the Firearm with both hands and touched it with a gray-white stone for a while.

"The Magic Detection Stone shows no abnormal reaction. Earl, please forgive our offense." The two clergymen confirmed that the Firearm had nothing to do with witchcraft.

Anderson did not immediately return the Firearm to Paul. He examined the novel object, clicking his tongue in wonder. The structure of the Firearm was very simple. Combining it with the Earl's operation just now, it was easy to deduce its working principle. The key was the magical powder that could burn violently, but since it was said to be a military secret, he couldn't continue to inquire about it.

This single-handed Firearm was specially made for Paul. The carpenter had put a lot of thought into carving very exquisite patterns on the handle, making it very artistically pleasing overall.

Leonard coughed, "Anderson, return it to the lord quickly."

"Oh, sorry. Did the lord invent this? It's really ingenious," Anderson said with a red face, praising as he returned the Firearm to the Earl.

"Hehe, I invented it. But, we agreed just now that the details of this weapon should not be revealed to others." The other party's praise offset some of the displeasure in Paul's heart.

"Of course. Now that the situation is clear, we will not continue to disturb the Earl." The two clergymen got up to leave.

But then they heard the Earl suddenly say, "Gentlemen, don't be in such a hurry to leave."

Dean Leonard and Father Anderson detected a hint of something amiss in his tone. "Does Your Lordship have any further instructions?"

"How did you two know about this new weapon I invented? And how did you know I used it in the battle against the Pirates?"

"This... this..." Father Anderson stammered.

Paul's tone grew colder. "Should I perhaps send a little report to the Northern Diocese? Something about certain people outwardly waving the flag of servants of God, while secretly engaging in espionage."

"Injustice, Earl. It was your soldiers in the Confessional..."

Dean Leonard immediately cut him off, shouting, "Anderson!!!"

Father Anderson immediately clapped his hands over his mouth, not uttering another word.

Dean Leonard said with a hint of embarrassment, "I apologize, Earl. Maintaining the confidentiality of those who confess is our duty. Please do not pursue this matter any further."

"Alright, I'll let it go at that (like hell)." Paul agreed verbally, but in his heart, there was absolutely no way he would.

"Then we'll take our leave."

The two clergymen hurriedly departed.

Thanks to Wind-blown Fallen Leaves z and Hu Tugui for the recommendation tickets!