Never forgotten

Within the bitterly cold Tribunal, two Cardinals stood facing each other in silence.

It was not raining outside, but the atmosphere between them was hardly cordial.

"You needn't look at me like that. I did nothing wrong."

The Rusty Nail Bishop slowly emerged from the shadows. The rivets piercing his body clinked softly as he moved, their rhythm unsettling.

"The sealed objects have stirred. His Excellency the Archbishop has personally taken charge and ordered us to find any monks who have fallen under their influence. We both know this."

"He's an outsider and the most suspicious of all. Instead of seizing him outright, I merely tested him in secret. That was already a concession out of respect for you."

Although Herbert was largely oblivious to it, his identity was actually quite unusual in the eyes of the Monastery's leadership.

The second son of Duke Silver Wing.

The Monastery had housed monks of noble birth before, but most had been fallen nobles with nowhere else to turn, or minor nobles forcibly sent there for reform after violating its precepts.

Herbert was the only noble in nearly two hundred years to apply voluntarily to join the Misty Monastery.

And he was a strong contender to inherit the title of a powerful, influential noble of the Kingdom!

As for whether he had truly committed the sin of "defiling the princess," everyone knew the truth. No one genuinely regarded him as a criminal.

Not to mention the Oath of Purity he had subsequently sworn, which provided even stronger proof.

He was innocent.

Yet regardless of Herbert's purity, he remained a special case. It was difficult to treat him exactly like everyone else.

Had he truly been framed?

Or did he have some other purpose?

The Frost Crystal Kingdom had been trying to extend its reach into the Misty Monastery for years. Attempting to install a bishop with ties to the Kingdom was nothing new.

The Monastery's leadership understood the royal family's little schemes, but had not intervened, tacitly allowing their maneuvering.

The monks stood apart from worldly affairs, dedicating the rest of their lives to order and fighting for justice.

But that did not mean complete isolation from the world. Unable to sustain themselves entirely, the monks still needed support from others.

Although the Monastery respected the Gods and accepted the blessings They bestowed, its monks were not Their servants.

The Misty Monastery was not a religious church. It did not specifically worship any single deity, nor would it wage war against others for a god's sake. It fought only for justice and order in the world.

Even religious churches needed donations from their followers to keep functioning. That was all the more true of the Monastery, which had no faithful making offerings.

The Monastery accepted charitable donations from nobles and, when necessary, dispatched monks from its knightly order to help them resolve minor problems.

Naturally, only those that did not compromise its principles.

These included subduing bandits ravaging their lands, hunting monsters that threatened their subjects, and standing guard along the borders between humans and monsters.

The Monastery did not want the Kingdom's reach to extend too far. Maintaining the status quo was enough.

That was why Herbert had been tossed straight into the Foreign Races' Prison to serve as a warden after becoming a Holy Knight.

The position seemed fairly elevated, entrusted with guarding important prisoners of other races, but it involved little contact with other monks, leaving him no way to build relationships.

A promotion in name, a demotion in practice. It looked prestigious but carried no real authority, effectively preventing certain developments.

However, when the Monastery's leadership made that decision, none of them could have imagined that the position was exactly what Herbert wanted.

Surrounded by young women of other races, he could hardly have been happier.

"But he's no longer an outsider."

The Bishop of Thorns gave a quiet snort and said in a low voice, "From the moment he swore his oath before a god and received a blessing, he became a member of the Monastery."

After the Bishop of Thorns finished, the Rusty Nail Bishop silently stared at him with dead-fish eyes. Only after a long while did he slowly speak:

"...You agreed with my methods earlier. Don't act as though I'm deliberately picking on him now."

"Hmph! I don't care about that."

The Bishop of Thorns remained unfazed. He waved his large hand and shook his gleaming bald head, then asked in a deep voice, "Now that you've tested him, are there any other problems?"

The Rusty Nail Bishop did not answer. He merely narrowed his eyes at his shameless colleague.

After a long silence, he finally gave a somewhat weary sigh and said:

"His mind is exceptionally resilient. He was barely affected by me at all. Aside from the Purity Blessing, he must also have a Magic Artifact that protects his soul, ranked at least above Legendary."

Hmm?

The Bishop of Thorns' expression shifted slightly. Frowning, he asked, "Then was everything he said earlier a lie?"

Had it all been an act?

Had he been fooled, then?

That couldn't be!

After so many years as Chief Inquisitor, how could he fail to distinguish truth from lies?

"No, you weren't deceived. Everything he said was the truth he had buried deep in his heart."

"And that was only part of it. A great deal more has yet to be drawn out."

Recalling the resentment and anger he had sensed, the Rusty Nail Bishop sighed with emotion as well.

"As a young man who has been wronged, he desperately needs a battle to prove himself, to sustain his spirit with the honor of victory..."

He paused there, then shook his head. "His subconscious even wishes for an honorable death in battle, to clear his name through sacrifice."

At those words, both Cardinals fell silent.

Sacrifice.

Proving his convictions through death.

Everyone feared death. Even among Holy Knights, not all possessed the resolve to sacrifice themselves.

Without any further explanation, they could feel the strain Herbert bore in his mind.

Though he showed no outward sign of it, he had not forgotten what had happened for a single day. He had kept it buried deep within his heart all along.

"Have you found out who's persecuting him?"

"I have, but I won't tell you. This isn't something we should get involved in."

"...Heh. I understand." The Bishop of Thorns snorted coldly and curled his lip in disdain. "So it's someone who ranks among the Kingdom's big shots."

The Rusty Nail Bishop shook his head and offered no further explanation. Instead, he said, "Now we can confirm that Herbert is indeed innocent. He has not fallen under their influence, and he can be trusted."

"Just as the Archbishop said, he truly is a promising young talent. I'll recruit him during the knightly order's next expansion."

"Indeed, he is an outstanding...hmm?"

The Bishop of Thorns froze for a moment, then flew into a rage on the spot. Pointing at his unscrupulous colleague, he roared, "You're trying to poach him?! Absolutely not! Don't forget, he belongs to my Tribunal!"

You damned old bastard, what are you trying to pull?!

"Heh."

The Rusty Nail Bishop sneered, utterly ignoring the Bishop of Thorns' fury, then turned and walked out without looking back.

As he walked, he murmured softly:

"You're the one who mustn't forget."

"Herbert is a Holy Knight."

"A Penitent Monk like you can't teach him...heh!"