Blasphemy!!?
The instant Herbert heard that word, his heart gave a violent lurch. He felt as though all the blood in his body had frozen, and he tensed all over.
Thump, thump!
As his heart pounded, his mind raced, rapidly assessing the situation:
What did the Bishop of Thorns mean by that question?
He wouldn't try to bluff me out of nowhere. There had to be a reason.
What had the Bishop of Thorns discovered?
Was he suspicious of me?
Could there be some lingering aura on me?
Nenasya's demon mark?
Freime's Rainbow Scales?
Or Valentina's hair?
Or... no.
Don't panic!
He hadn't made his move yet. I couldn't lose my composure first.
He probably didn't have any evidence.
If he were absolutely certain-no, even if he only had a vague lead-he wouldn't bother with this. He would arrest and interrogate me outright!
This was just a surprise probe.
Then what was he trying to bluff out of me?
Herbert pondered, then suddenly sensed something amiss.
Wait.
Something seemed wrong... why, why was I so nervous?
With my mental fortitude, I shouldn't have been falling apart like this.
Hiss-
"...Hmm!?"
The moment he realized this, it was as though he had punctured a hazy membrane shrouding his consciousness. His thoughts became completely clear again.
In a single brief instant, Herbert regained his composure entirely.
Checking again, he indeed felt a faint warmth coming from the back of his hand-the Holy Mark and demon mark had both stirred slightly at that moment.
They had activated passively in response to outside interference.
Someone was trying to manipulate my thoughts!
Whoever it was definitely understood Purity Blessing. They had deliberately bypassed it and acted directly on my soul.
Although it had lasted only a fleeting instant, the other party had succeeded.
At the very least, the interference had made Herbert nervous, giving him an irresistible urge to reveal his secrets.
What that person had failed to anticipate, however, was that Herbert had more than one layer of defense.
Not only did Holy Oath protect the purity of his mind, but the Evil God's Contract also strengthened his will.
In fact, even if those two defenses were breached, Herbert still had a third safeguard-Sea Monster Queen's Longing.
One effect of this epic curse was to make him immune to mental manipulation by others.
It was fair to say that the hardest part of Herbert at that moment wasn't his little buddy, but his soul of steel-the kind that would set off a metal detector.
However, although Herbert had shaken off the mental interference, the crisis was not over.
Neither the demon mark nor the curse could be revealed. He had no way to explain why the interference hadn't worked!
His only option now was to turn their scheme to his advantage and keep acting along with it!
Despite all those thoughts racing through his head, only a few breaths had passed in the outside world.
Over those few breaths, Herbert's expression had changed several times.
Bewilderment gave way to contemplation, before finally transforming into righteous indignation.
He was furious!
"Blasphemy?"
Herbert raised his head and looked at the Bishop of Thorns, his expression grave. In a low voice, he asked, "Are you saying that one of the monks in the Monastery has fallen!!?"
"Could you... could you possibly..."
He stared at the Bishop of Thorns in shock, his expression going through another series of changes.
The Bishop of Thorns took in every one of those changes and shook his head slightly.
"Such a guilty reaction. He really is..."
Just as the Bishop of Thorns sighed inwardly, convinced that there really was something wrong with Herbert, the white-haired boy finished his sentence.
He shouted excitedly, "Could you possibly be hoping to entrust this matter to me!!?"
The Bishop of Thorns: ?
What did he say?
Entrust what to him?
Herbert's baffling maneuvers had successfully thrown the Chief Inquisitor into confusion, leaving him beginning to doubt himself.
But Herbert's performance continued, and as he found his rhythm, it only grew more convincing.
"Your Excellency, Chief Inquisitor!"
"Please, you must entrust this mission to me!"
Herbert strode forward, disregarding the thorny spikes covering the Chief Inquisitor. With determination written all over his face, he seized the man's large hand and declared fervently:
"Please believe in me! I swear on the honor of the Albert Family, even if I must spill every last drop of Silver Wing blood, I will capture that fallen soul!"
"Please give me a chance to prove myself!"
Having said that, he gazed earnestly at the Chief Inquisitor, who had visibly stiffened.
My lord, please give me a chance!
I wanted to get ahead so badly!
"...Uh, wait a moment. Just wait."
The Bishop of Thorns was somewhat overwhelmed by the scene. He leaned back awkwardly, trying to evade that excessively burning gaze.
Was... was this right?
He tried to withdraw his right hand, but Herbert held it fast in both of his, refusing to let go.
Of course, with his strength, he could easily break Herbert's hand bones and forcibly pull free, but that would undoubtedly injure an exceptionally promising young man.
The Chief Inquisitor simply couldn't bear to do it.
Yes, he couldn't bear it.
Before this, Herbert had merely been a somewhat unusual young noble in his eyes. He had believed the boy would sooner or later give up, break his oath, and leave.
But after the transformation just now, Herbert's image in his mind had changed completely.
Hatred of wrongdoing, fearlessness before evil, willingness to sacrifice... every quality he possessed was especially important for a Holy Knight.
At the very least, he would become a Legendary Holy Knight in the future!
With enough good fortune, he might even ultimately become an epic-level powerhouse!
For a Holy Knight, talent for cultivation mattered, but it was nowhere near as important as willpower.
How many people would one have to search through to find a Holy Knight like this, with not a trace of darkness in his heart and his mind set solely on eradicating evil!?
Nothing could be allowed to happen to Herbert!
"Heh, child, you've misunderstood."
Having made up his mind, the Bishop of Thorns smiled and gently patted Herbert's shoulder with his left hand, dispelling the interference someone else had placed on him.
"None of our brethren in the Monastery have fallen. I was merely asking a routine question. You needn't worry."
Herbert shook his head in "bewilderment" and blinked, asking uncertainly, "Your Excellency, are you sure there aren't any? Please don't deceive me. I really can do it..."
"There really aren't." The Bishop of Thorns shook his head and said with a hint of helplessness, "All right, off you go. Get some proper rest."
His tone carried a note of command. Even if Herbert "still wanted to insist," he could only obey, dutifully bowing before leaving.
After he left, the smile vanished from the Bishop of Thorns' face. He looked impassively toward the shadows to one side and said flatly, "...Are you satisfied with this result?"
The Rusty Nail Bishop's figure materialized out of thin air within the shadows. His expression unchanged, he calmly met the Bishop of Thorns' gaze and slowly said:
"Those are the rules."
Before you continue