[ Two-Legged Bald Rattlesnake ] Mazzola sat high above, his face cold.
His face showed no trace of the pity that should belong to a righteous and just priest. He glanced at the restless crowd and said indifferently, " The Church received a secret report that not long ago, during the battle on the stone bridge in Chambord City, the most evil Undead Magic in the world was used... I now suspect that these people have been tempted by the devil, because I sense a faint Aura on them... Children of God, do not try to doubt the justice of the Father... I assure you, the Church will make the most just judgment. As long as it is found that they have not made a deal with the devil, I will personally escort them out of the church."
This is the reason given by Mazzola.
This seemingly simple reason instantly terrified the residents of Chambord City who were lining the streets. Some people who had been desperately crying and pleading as their loved ones were dragged away were stunned upon hearing this, no longer daring to utter a sound, their eyes filled with despair and dejection.
In the Azeroth Continent, no matter how illustrious your status, if the Church deems you to have ties with demons, it's tantamount to being associated with the Grim Reaper's scythe. A place has already been reserved for you at the stake by the Holy Church.
This is not an exaggeration; there's a chilling example—
Twenty years ago, Bruno, the powerful sixth-level emperor of the Azeroth Continent Turin Empire, was exceptionally talented and brilliant. Before he Zongheng fifty, he had already reached the pinnacle of the Moon Class powerhouses— the Full Moon Class powerhouse. Some even predicted that Bruno was just one step away from becoming Sun-Rank Venerable. The Turin Empire also had a million-strong ironclad army under its command, with countless powerful warriors, making it a dominant force for more than a decade.
However, Bruno suffered a devastating blow at the height of his power.
The reason was simply that at a banquet of the Church, the arrogant Bruno inadvertently offended Pope Platini of the Holy Church. His Holiness the Pope severely accused him of colluding with evil spirits and demons of Hell. Then, with a single order, he commanded the Holy See's subordinate court, the [ Judgment Knights ], to wipe the Turin Empire off the continent with overwhelming force. Bruno himself, being a super strongman, met an even more tragic end—it is said that he was bound to the Pillar of Fire of the Sun God atop the Holy Mountain of Ten Thousand Streams Peak, the headquarters of the Holy Church, and was roasted alive by terrible magical flames for three whole years before dying in endless agony.
Therefore, Mazzola's simple words instantly plunged everyone into despair, and the young girls who were pulled out with chains around their necks fainted upon hearing this.
The crowds on both sides of the street were completely silent.
Even the young women and close relatives of the adults who were arrested dared not utter a single word, not even cry.
The tyranny of the Church is evident.
[ The Two-Legged Bald-Headed Rattlesnake ] Mazzola was clearly pleased with the effect he had created.
He enjoys this atmosphere of being feared by others.
Mazzola stroked his beloved black staff, then surveyed his surroundings with an air of authority. Finding no one meeting his gaze, he nodded smugly. The humiliation and frustration he had suffered at the Holy Church branch in Saint Petersburg, the capital of the Zenit Empire, a few days earlier, were finally avenged in this moment, and he felt triumphant once again.
But just as he was about to turn back into the gilded magic carriage—
"Please wait a moment, Your Excellency. I can testify that these people have absolutely no connection to evil Undead Magic."
A crisp, pleasant, and melodious voice suddenly rang in his ears, instantly ruining the good mood that Mazzola had finally achieved.
The Rattlesnake was enraged.
He turned abruptly, pointed his staff, and without even looking at who was speaking, a bright white beam of light carrying an aura of destruction shot out from the purple gemstone embedded at the top of his beloved black staff, like a laser beam, towards the direction of the voice.
The Church See's Divine Art [ Light Annihilation ].
The attack was ruthless and sudden, clearly intended to One-Hit Kill.
An uncontrollable gasp of surprise erupted in the street.
The priest Mazzola didn't see who was speaking, but everyone else could see it clearly. Everyone's face changed instantly, because the person who bravely stepped forward despite the enormous danger was none other than Angela, the future noble queen of King Alexander Chambord City, a kind and lovely girl as gentle as ice and snow.
A bright white light, carrying a scorching heat, instantly assaulted Angela's eyes, already burning the strands of her black hair that were fluttering in the evening breeze... Just as a peerless beauty with snow-white skin was about to die tragically on the spot because of a single sentence, at that moment—
Clang!
A Big Black, shimmering with blue flames, suddenly appeared out of thin air and stood in front of Angela.
The sword hilt was held in a broad, strong hand.
The heavy black sword trembled slightly, and the blue flames rippled under the impact of the bright white light before both disappeared completely.
The person who arrived just in time was Frank Lampard, the former top fighter in Chambord City.
"How dare you lay a hand on Her Highness the Princess! Master Mazzola, are you deliberately trying to provoke conflict between the Church and Chambord City?"
Lampard gripped his sword horizontally, its black blade heavy as a mountain. His azure Water-Element Dou Qi surged wildly around him, and his fiery red hair broke free from its burlap binding, strands flying wildly. With his imposing and heroic figure and unparalleled aura, his eyes were piercing as he stared intently at Mazzola, who stood on the gilded carriage's footboard, and loudly questioned him.
"Oh, it's Princess Angela... Please forgive my rudeness."
Mazzola finally recognized who had spoken disrespectfully to him earlier, but a mere future queen of a sixth-rank vassal state of a first-class empire was beneath his notice. Though he offered a curt apology, no one could discern any genuine remorse on his face. He nonchalantly curled his lip, a half-smile playing on his lips, and said, "Lord Lampard, please put away your Black Divine Weapon. Are you perhaps going to attack the clergy of the Church?"
Lampard paused slightly.
He paused for a moment, frowned, and suddenly transformed the Black Divine Weapon in his hand into a ball of dark light, retracting it into the scabbard on his back. His face still held anger, his eyes sweeping like lightning over the several Chambord City civilians who had been chained up by the guards. He angrily questioned, "What crimes have these people committed? Does the Holy Church think they can do whatever they want just because they arrest people?"
"Watch your words, Lord Lampard..." Mazzola, annoyed by the repeated defiance, retorted with a haughty and contemptuous expression, "Are you questioning the Father's justice? We have concrete evidence that Undead Magic was used in the battle before Chambord City, and I suspect it's related to these individuals, so I brought them back to the church to investigate..."
"But, Master, I have irrefutable evidence that these people you captured have nothing to do with Undead Magic..."
[ The Two-Legged Bald-Headed Rattlesnake ] was interrupted by Angela before he could finish speaking. The beautiful girl was clearly still pale from the previous terrifying scene, but her large, pure eyes, like sparkling crystals, shone with courage. Looking at the pleading eyes of the young women who had been captured, Angela firmly retorted, "Master, you just said that Undead Magic appeared during the battle on the stone bridge, but everyone in Chambord City can testify that none of these captured people were ever on the stone bridge. Therefore, they cannot possibly have any connection to the Undead Magic on the stone bridge at that time."
Angela's words made everyone in Chambord City's eyes light up.
"Yes, they didn't even leave the city. How could the Undead Magic on the stone bridge have anything to do with them?"
"Perhaps it was Undead Magic cast by those damned black-clad bastards who attacked Chambord City?"
"My Lord, please don't indiscriminately arrest good people!"
"Princess Angela is right, Nili and the others definitely have nothing to do with Undead Magic..."
"That's right, Aunt Guli just gave birth less than a month ago. She can't even lift a kitchen knife, so how could she possibly know any Undead Magic!"
Hearing Angela's explanation, the crowds on both sides of the street seemed to finally have the courage to speak the truth. They cheered loudly, especially the relatives of those who had been arrested, who quickly shouted that they were innocent. The scene was getting a little out of control.
Everyone understands the real reason the Church arrested these people.
The few middle-aged men who were dressed somewhat neatly were hostages used to extort money from their families, while the other young and beautiful girls were actually tools for the Church lords to satisfy their lust. They would be kept like slaves, and in addition to that, they would have to clean the church and take care of the daily lives of the Church staff. This method had already happened many times before. Of course, in the end, some of them would be burned at the stake for colluding with evil forces. And the 'Aunt Guli ' who was still holding a child and was dragged out today was probably the unlucky person that Mazzola intended to burn to demonstrate the authority of the Church.
Looking at the scene before him, the priest Mazzola, sitting on the gilded carriage's footboard, was somewhat speechless.
He hadn't expected that a little girl's words would cause so much trouble. The commoners were even starting to jeer, severely challenging his authority. Thinking of this, the vicious Rattlesnake was filled with rage. His face changed, and he threatened fiercely, "Evil forces are always adept at bewitching people and blinding the eyes of the kind and ignorant... Princess Angela, Lord Lampard, if you don't step aside, the Church will consider you accomplices in Undead Magic, and you'll be burned at the stake without mercy!"
After saying that, Mazzola turned and entered the gilded magic carriage without waiting for the two to say anything more.
Seeing this, the short, fat monk closest to Lampard and Angela triumphantly shook the iron chain in his hand. "Haha, get out of the way! Otherwise... hehe!" The last two words were full of threat in the short, fat monk's smirking expression.
Lampard raised his Big Hand and gripped the hilt of the Black Divine Weapon on his back.
He turned to look at Angela, his expression questioning.
Angela's beautiful eyes filled with anxious tears.
The young girl was at a loss for what to do, her heart burning with anxiety. She knew that if she signaled Lampard to rescue the people, it would bring utter destruction to Alexander was about to be officially crowned King, and the entire Chambord City... However, the kind-hearted girl could not bear to let her innocent people be taken away by the Church.
Just then--
A warm, firm hand suddenly rested gently on the girl's shoulder, followed by a familiar, magnetic voice that rang in Angela's ears like heavenly music. "Teach me everything!"
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