Chapter 515: The Time Is Ripe?

Chapter 515: Is the Time Ripe?

"Heh." The Grand Priest smiled, shaking his head as he asked, "Where did you learn that from?"

Foden replied, "My deputy, Limmel, the Chief Inquisitor of my Whip of Order. During her noon report, after she finished, I told her I wanted to add two points. She suddenly picked up her water cup and began washing her ears.

I laughed at the time; I thought it was quite amusing."

"Yes, it is amusing. So you couldn't wait to use it on me?"

"That is indeed the case, yes."

The Grand Priest said with a touch of helplessness, "A pity. Such an interesting thing, yet I cannot find a suitable person to try ear-washing on."

Foden smiled without a word, reaching out to gently adjust the orb that was currently displaying the scene from the Tribunal.

If this were the time of previous Grand Priests, they would have had someone to use it on: the Temple of Order.

For instance, when the former Grand Priest, Lasma, was in power, on the surface, the Temple's Council of Elders stood behind him. In private, however, when the Temple Elders spoke, Lasma could only stand off to the side.

But this Grand Priest was different. Since taking office, he had reversed the attitude of past Grand Priests toward the Temple of Order. Not only was he unyielding, but he had also very clearly expressed his intent to treat the Temple of Order as a mere systemic department beneath the Holy See. In other words, he acknowledged the noble pedigree of the Temple Elders, but he did not acknowledge the transcendent status of the Temple of Order.

Foden knew well that the Temple of Order was highly dissatisfied with this, yet the Temple was also very wary of this Grand Priest. In short, they were unwilling to spark a direct conflict with him.

Furthermore, over this recent period, the systems and departments that had been purged and rearranged were not limited to the Whip of Order alone. Other factions, especially the Temple faction, were also focal points of concern. Quite a few individuals connected to the Temple, such as the direct descendants of the Temple Elders, had been reassigned to departments that held routine sacrifices and studied the standard rituals of the Holy Church.

The rise of a powerful Grand Priest brought with it a shockwave aimed at the old power structure. The neglected factions naturally gathered around him, joining him in contesting the spoils of the vested-interest system.

The resulting turbulence was bound to be all-encompassing. Once it broke out completely, its intensity would match, or perhaps even surpass, an external war. This required the political finesse and vision of those at the very top to keep such turbulence within a controllable range as much as possible.

At this moment, the image on the screen grew clearer, and the perspective could even be switched dynamically, as more than one broadcasting array was at work on the scene.

On the screen, the figures of Karen and his two companions happened to appear.

"Vick?" The Grand Priest recognized at a glance a student his predecessor had taken in during his final days.

"Yes, Vick," Foden introduced immediately. "After Lord Techisen passed away on Fire Island, his official post was transferred into the Whip of Order."

The Grand Priest's gaze then fell upon Karen, and he said, "Karen?"

"Yes, Karen. A very excellent young man. Looking at his resume initially, I thought he would be a person of stark character, but after interacting with him, I found he actually gives off a somewhat shy impression."

"Revealing character or showing one's sharp edges before you would be inappropriate. Feigning a proper shyness is, in fact, the most effortless approach."

The Grand Priest took a puff of his cigar and said to Foden:

"I originally intended to rest a bit."

Foden pointed to the screen before them. "But this might also be a way to relax, no?"

"Then, let us watch."

……

The broadcasting array inside the Tribunal had already been set up. Old Deron handed the application form to a subordinate, telling him to finish the final procedure and bring back the receipt. He then simply found a corner seat in the public gallery below and sat down, making no move to approach his grandson.

Since they had already torn off all pretenses, there was nothing left to be cautious about. A rare, brilliant stage play; it would be a waste not to watch.

Just then, Karen walked over and bowed to Deron, "You truly gave me a surprise today."

"Hahaha." Deron laughed, patting his knees. "Rare to have such an opportunity. When a man gets old, either he does not get angry, or if he does, he fears waiting too long, afraid he won't live to see it. By the way, what are you doing?"

"I am going out for a smoke."

"Nervous?"

Karen shook his head and said, "I am enjoying it."

"Good, very good." Old Deron nodded. "I await the performance."

Karen nodded back to Deron and then walked out of the Tribunal. He did not head for the restroom on this floor, but instead lit a cigarette in the stairwell.

"Is he nervous?" In the distance, standing within a shielding barrier, Bernie asked Neo beside him.

"No, this is barely the beginning, how could he be? He just went out to brew his emotions. If you don't believe me, look—he'll probably only take two puffs of that cigarette, and the rest will be completely wasted."

In the distance, Karen threw the cigarette, which still had a large section remaining after only two puffs, onto the ground, crushed it with the sole of his boot, and then gently twisted his neck.

"Actually, I still feel that if you had gone this time, I would be most at ease."

"Please be reassured, Karen will not disappoint you."

"Very well, then I shall look forward to it with peace of mind."

Karen walked back into the Tribunal. He had originally come out to see if Neo and the others were around, but he hadn't crossed paths with them. Although he sensed an area in the corner that could not be probed, he did not force a detection, as that would be an extremely impolite action.

Upon returning to his seat, Karen found that an equivalent set of tables and chairs had been placed opposite them, and Bishop Byrne was already seated there.

Alfred and Vick both nodded to Karen one after another, indicating that everything was prepared.

Chief Inquisitor Gasper led the inquisitors back into the Tribunal, and the entire hall fell silent in an instant. Even those who occasionally moved about intentionally softened their steps.

"Crack!"

The whip cracked.

Everyone stood up to show respect, including the four Lords Bishop present.

"Recess is over, the trial resumes."

After Chief Inquisitor Gasper sat down, everyone took their seats.

An inquisitor looked toward Karen's side and spoke, "Please present the statement of the case."

Alfred stood up and made a highly concise statement of the facts. His vocal tone was naturally excellent and his diction was remarkably clear. Combined with his experience as a radio host, what should have been a routine statement of the case gave the impression of a news broadcast reporting a crime, as if Vicolai had already been convicted.

Throughout the narrative, there were three key points, and these three points strung together a timeline.

The first point was that in the Ziche case, Vicolai had snatched away Pavaro's credit;

The second point was that due to his own issues, Vicolai frequently went to that establishment to "consume" holy officials, and his cruel, atrocious actions involved consuming people until they melted into a puddle of water.

The third point was that Pavaro investigated this matter and prepared to expose it just as he had done with the Ziche case, and as a result, Vicolai silenced him by murder.

Among the three points, the first two were true, while the third was half-true and half-false.

As for the conflict between Vicolai and Richard, it was not included in this statement, nor had the Whip of Order submitted any chain of evidence regarding it. This was because Vicolai's "guilt" was already sufficient, and could even be considered an "overflow of guilt." Adding the pastry shop brawl would have no meaning in terms of sentencing;

Furthermore, it was best to crush Vicolai in one blow with a completely interconnected chain of guilt. Raising other charges at this time would only disperse their own firepower.

"I have finished my statement, Lord Chief Inquisitor."

Gasper looked at Vicolai and asked, "What does the defendant have to say?"

"They are slandering me!"

After Vicolai shouted this sentence, he did not say a single word more, turning instead to look at Bishop Byrne.

This was undoubtedly an extremely clever move.

"The defense counsel may now speak."

Bishop Byrne spoke, "Chief Inquisitor, I wish to speak after the opposing side displays their chain of evidence."

Gasper nodded.

An inquisitor below said, "Please display the chain of evidence."

Vick stood up and began to introduce the relevant evidence. His speech was clear and he showed no stage fright, knowing exactly how to grasp the key points of elaboration during the presentation of evidence.

Vicoli's "consumption" at that venue was supported by ironclad evidence, both witnesses and physical proof; as for the Qihe case, there were the investigative notes and the "suicide note" left behind by Inquisitor Pavaro.

When all the evidence had been presented and explained, Vick looked toward Gaspor: "Chief Inquisitor, my presentation is concluded."

Gaspor looked at Vicoli and asked: "What does the defendant have to say?"

Vicoli shouted once more:

"They are slandering me!"

Then, he looked yet again toward Bishop Bourne.

It had to be said that today's Vicoli was the most sober and intelligent he had been in recent days.

For a truly foolish and arrogant person, even doing nothing else but keeping his mouth shut was already a massive improvement compared to his past self.

Karen rubbed the ring on his finger with his fingertips; he was waiting, waiting for Bishop Bourne's counterattack.

"Defense counsel?"

"Very well, Chief Inquisitor."

Bishop Bourne stood up, left his seat, walked into the central area, and looked at Karen sitting there.

"I have a few questions that I hope the opposing party can answer.

The first question, Captain Karen, where have you been living these past few months?"

Karen understood in an instant. The reason Bishop Bourne had not spoken earlier after Alfred finished presenting the case, but had waited for Vick to display the evidence before standing up to speak, was not because he wanted to find flaws in the evidence to attack. It was because he knew exactly what kind of creature Vicoli was; he had no intention of wasting time on the traditional, fixed mode of trial and chose to jump straight out of it.

He intended to start from the external environment, tearing open a breakthrough to shift and extend this case from the matter itself into a power struggle deliberately launched by the Whip of Order.

His choice was correct, and it was also the wisest.

Although this trial was currently being broadcast live, and it was unknown how many departments and relevant units within the Holy Church were watching, human thinking patterns often leaned toward choosing a stance first, and then using that stance to deduce the details.

Once the concept of systemic struggle was brought to light, then the case itself, no matter how solid the chain of evidence was, would lose its meaning. Most people would preemptively believe that the evidence was "fabricated" and everything was "arranged."

Because even the priests currently watching the trial could, at most, listen with a story-seeking mindset while Alfred made his presentation; by the time Vick displayed the evidence, most people would choose to let their brains laze about.

Karen stood up and answered very calmly and directly:

"Recently, I have been living at the Pavaro Funeral Parlor."

Bishop Bourne pressed further: "Please confirm once more, is that the home of the very Inquisitor Pavaro... whose achievements were stolen by Adjudicator Vicoli, and who was subsequently silenced by Adjudicator Vicoli because he intended to report his crimes?"

"Yes, it is the Pavaro Inquisitorium."

Bishop Bourne nodded and smiled: "Then Captain Karen must have had a very good relationship with Inquisitor Pavaro?"

"I was originally a divine servant staff member under the establishment of the Pavaro Inquisitorium."

"Please confirm once more, my question is about the personal relationship between you, Captain Karen, and Inquisitor Pavaro."

Karen answered:

"He was a slovenly yet benevolent superior..."

The image surfaced in Karen's mind of Pavaro helping him by sending Alfred to the hospital, lending him money to pay the hospitalization fees, and the scene where Pavaro was startled for fear of being discovered by his wife when Karen returned the money.

"He was a trustworthy and reliable friend..."

The follower of Goddess Mills, Lady Annie, had said something similar to him when speaking of Pavaro.

"He was, moreover, a role model worth learning from."

Karen finished his answer and looked at Bishop Bourne.

"It seems your relationship was indeed profound, may I phrase it that way?"

"You may."

"Then, may I ask, after the Qihe case broke out, regarding Adjudicator Vicoli stealing Inquisitor Pavaro's achievements, you knew about this very early on, didn't you, Captain Karen?

I have reviewed your resume. Shortly after that case broke out, barely a few days later, you became a divine servant staff member under the establishment of the Pavaro Inquisitorium."

"Yes."

"Was it a job transfer, or did you know beforehand? Please answer clearly."

"I knew about this very early on."

"Did Inquisitor Pavaro tell you himself?"

"Yes."

"May I ask, before you took up your post at the Inquisitorium, had you had any contact with Inquisitor Pavaro?"

"Yes, he helped me once."

"Was the contact deep? I mean, were those descriptions you just gave of Inquisitor Pavaro impressions formed before or after you took up the post? Alright, let me make the question more precise: when exactly did you and Inquisitor Pavaro get to know each other?"

"Before I took up the post."

"How long before?"

"Very short."

"Oh, alright, I understand. Having one's achievements stolen is such a major matter, yet Inquisitor Pavaro would actually tell you first, when you had just joined and were merely a divine servant?

My apologies, let me remove the word 'actually' first. Please answer, was that the case?"

"Yes."

"Inquisitor Pavaro also has a wife and two daughters. Did they know about this?"

"No."

"As far as I know, under the Inquisitorium, you were not the only divine servant; there were two others."

"Yes."

"Then, did they know about this?"

"No."

"So, why?" Bishop Bourne asked, deeply perplexed. "Such a major matter, and the opponent was not just his superior, but a superior with a massive background.

I would like to ask everyone in the gallery, as well as the Chief Inquisitor and the judges: would you tell such a major matter directly to a divine servant who had just joined under you?

Even if one had words in one's heart to pour out because holding it in was truly unbearable, there were clearly better choices, such as the other two divine servants who had spent more time together and had a closer relationship.

Captain Karen, can you give a reason why Inquisitor Pavaro would trust the you of that time so much, and be willing to speak of this matter with you alone?"

Bishop Bourne was deliberately trying to steer the origin of this matter toward a pre-planned conspiracy.

"I can give a reason."

"Oh, what kind of reason?"

"Because I am outstanding enough."

Bishop Bourne: "..."

This reason, unexpectedly, could not be refuted.

For a moment, the entire venue fell silent.

Sitting below, Richard and the others one after another revealed smiles, feeling only that the Captain's words were blunt enough, but also satisfying enough.

...

"Heh, it is quite amusing."

The High Priest could not help but let out a soft laugh, and Verden followed suit beside him.

"Verden, is this the bashful young man you spoke of?"

"Before me, he was indeed quite bashful."

"That is different; are you not also quite reserved before me?"

"You speak the truth, Your Eminence."

"By the way, his family background..." The High Priest reached out again, gently rubbing his own forehead.

Verden hurried to reply, "Karen Silva, raised in an orphanage—an orphan."

"Ah, an orphan."

Verden nodded in agreement, but the High Priest's next words sent a subtle tremor through the Whipper, instantly leaving a profound impression of this "little wolf cub" upon him.

For the High Priest said:

"Just like me."

...

"Your Excellency Bishop, do you believe this reason of mine is sufficient?"

Bishop Bourne found himself somewhat at a loss for words, able only to nod as he said, "Personally, I can accept this reason."

But soon after, Bishop Bourne questioned further:

"Why did Inquisitor Pavaro not report it immediately when his credit was stolen?"

"Because he was used to it."

"Used to what?"

"Used to this sort of phenomenon within the Church."

"Then why did he go to investigate Adjudicator Vicole?"

"Because Inquisitor Pavaro felt that while he himself was used to it, those innocent people persecuted by Adjudicator Vicole were not yet used to it."

Hearing this, Bishop Bourne's gaze narrowed slightly, and he pressed on:

"Then you, since you knew about this so early on, why did you not report it?"

"Because at that time, I was merely a divine servant."

"But afterwards, you entered the Whip of Order squad; later still, you passed two rounds of selection, gaining the qualification for the trial to enter the Gate of Reincarnation; you formed your own Whip of Order squad; you entered the observation group; and now you are even the captain of the action brigade under the Disciplinary Inspection Office.

I want to ask you, when Inquisitor Pavaro began investigating Adjudicator Vicole, did he inform you, or did Inquisitor Pavaro completely avoid you this time to investigate in secret?

I imagine that since he could tell you about such a massive matter in the past, there is no reason he would keep it from you now, is there?

After all, you two lived in the exact same place."

Karen replied, "He informed me."

Bishop Bourne immediately pursued the matter: "So, you were directly involved in Inquisitor Pavaro's investigation into Adjudicator Vicole from the very beginning, were you not?"

The intent behind this question was glaringly obvious—it was practically digging a pit right before your eyes and forcing you to jump in.

Yet Karen shook his head and replied, "No."

"No? You knew of this matter, yet you did not investigate together with Inquisitor Pavaro?"

"Indeed, I did not. Because after Inquisitor Pavaro informed me of this matter, I rejected his plan to investigate Adjudicator Vicole and advised him against it for the time being. However, he clearly did not heed my advice and proceeded with the investigation on his own, which ultimately resulted in the accident I had hoped to avoid."

"Why?"

"Because I felt the timing was not yet ripe."

"The timing was not ripe? But you are already the captain of the Disciplinary Inspection Brigade, and you are already qualified to sit right here. Does this still not count as the timing being ripe?"

"Heh... hehehe."

Karen laughed, an explicit laugh that now resonated through the judgment hall.

Immediately following this, he turned his head, scanning his surroundings, then raised his left hand to point at Vicole standing inside the cage, while the knuckles of his right hand rapped against the table in front of him, producing a sharp "Bang! Bang! Bang!" sound.

Finally,

Karen raised his voice,

demanding of the entire assembly in an almost interrogative tone:

"If the timing truly were ripe, then in the face of such abundant and ironclad evidence, why on earth has this trial turned into the spectacle it is right now?"