A faint smile touched Delon's lips, and he shifted into a more comfortable posture.
What a pity. If only he had a cup of hot tea in hand, it would be even more delightful—and if it came with a few pastries baked by his wife, it would be downright perfect.
Due to his temperament, Delon never cared for overly complicated matters. When it came to the church and his work, he had always kept things relatively pure. It was precisely because he had always treated his subordinates and each of his students with genuine sincerity that whenever he needed them, a single word was enough. Without any need to cajole or search, the priests of his department had followed him here, even though everyone knew that coming here very likely meant offending the bishops.
Still, Delon had served in the department for so many years. Even if he had never personally made fermented bean paste, he had certainly tasted it.
Sitting here now, he understood perfectly well what was unfolding before him.
*This kid is truly something extraordinary.*
Delon recalled how fond his wife was of Karen—especially whenever she arranged new robes and clothes for Richard, she would always have an identical set prepared for Karen.
The old man saw nothing strange in that. On the contrary, he found it completely natural.
His wife had a sharp eye and had recognized Karen's brilliance early on.
*Sigh.*
Who wouldn't like a young man like him?
At that thought, Delon subconsciously glanced toward his grandson.
That inexplicable second-hand embarrassment still had not faded.
***
"The captain is amazing."
Richard clenched his fists. It was as if he were the one who had stood in the center questioning the entire hall rather than Karen; he felt an overwhelming sense of vicarious thrill.
Philomena spoke up, asking, "What's so amazing about it? His tone? To me, it felt like the captain was backed into a corner."
"Hey, that's not being backed into a corner! The other guy was the one who brought up outside-the-game talk first."
"Outside the game?" Philomena paused. "Is that a term from that game?"
During those days drifting across the sea on the sea beast, Philomena had also been dragged into playing that game called Werewolf.
"Yeah! Today was supposed to be strictly about the judgment of the case, but Bishop Bourne refused to address the actual matter and insisted on bringing up outside-the-game topics. So the captain simply engaged him on those terms. That cancels them out evenly, right?"
Philomena wanted to agree, but still could not quite grasp it.
Richard immediately explained further, "It's like trying to figure out which of two players is a good person and which is a werewolf. A believer of the Moon God Church swears: 'By the great Moon God above, I am a good person.' Doesn't that make people think he's definitely not a wolf? But then the other person follows right up with: 'By the great God of Samsara above, I am absolutely not a werewolf.' Just like that, aren't the two of them back on equal footing in your mind?"
"Mm, I see. So after neutralizing the outside-the-game factors, they still have to return to the game to parse the logic? Meaning, back to the case right before us."
"Exactly! Sigh, you know, the longer I spend with Karen, the more I realize I can't compare to him in any way."
Hearing that, Philomena said, "Are you insinuating something about me?"
"No, no! You're very impressive in my eyes, really."
"Still, there's one thing..." Philomena said. "Have you ever met Inquisitor Pavaro?"
"No. Pick and Dincom said Inquisitor Pavaro was always taking missions outside and rarely came home, just to earn points to buy medicinal ingredients for his two contaminated daughters."
Philomena asked, "Do you think Inquisitor Pavaro's two daughters are still lacking medicinal ingredients now?"
Richard licked his lips nervously.
Philomena continued, "If you tell me Inquisitor Pavaro deliberately avoided the captain to keep him from finding out about the investigation, I'd believe it. But that he was silenced right under the captain's nose? I find that hard to believe."
Richard took a deep breath and immediately brought his index finger to his lips.
"Shh! Don't bring this up again, and don't ask about it, understand?"
"I put up an isolation barrier. There's no need to shush when it's just the two of us talking."
"Oh, right. I wasn't paying attention."
"Besides, other than you, I don't speak to anyone else."
***
"This young man is truly interesting." The High Priest lifted his teacup and took a sip. "By the way, is this Bourne one of yours?"
"No, he belongs to Lisen's faction, but ultimately, he is still your man."
"Is he on Lisen's line? In Yorktown... ah, that family from the Church of Pamires."
"Yes. The Church of Pamires is under the actual control of his family."
"Mm, I remember him. That family has made significant contributions to the church. Never mind. Since he's Lisen's man, Lisen will make his own arrangements. Perhaps in their eyes, serving as a regional bishop is more suited to his talents."
Immediately after, Norton looked at Karen on the screen and suddenly laughed.
Then, the High Priest lifted the teacup resting on the coffee table and said, "Foden."
"Present."
"That cup of tea... you didn't get splashed for nothing."
***
Bishop Bourne stared at Karen for a long time, then nodded.
Step by step, he had dug pits for this young man, yet the young man had used complete candor to fill those pits step by step.
As for that impassioned questioning of the entire hall just now—was it truly a pure outpouring of emotion?
Bourne did not believe it for a second.
Yet he respected this method of integrating candor into one's own rhythm.
Bourne recalled his son Derius mentioning that this security officer named Karen was quite interesting. It seemed now that although he had crossed paths with him before, he had genuinely overlooked him.
However, this clash was only just beginning.
Let them continue to fight from their respective positions.
Bishop Bourne turned sideways and said, "Captain Karen, may I suspect that your description of the timing being 'not ripe' was merely an excuse you chose to evade the matter?"
Karen nodded and replied, "No need to suspect. It was an excuse to evade it."
"Then may I also suspect that your loyalty to the doctrine of Order is lacking?"
Gaspol spoke up. "Defense counsel, your questioning exceeds reasonable bounds."
"My apologies, Presiding Judge."
Karen bowed toward Gaspol. "I am willing to answer, Presiding Judge."
Gaspol said no more.
Karen looked back at Bishop Bourne and answered, "Yes. My loyalty to the doctrine of Order is lacking."
"Then—"
Before Bishop Bourne could continue, Karen cut him off, saying, "Not long ago, I underwent a medical examination at the affiliated hospital of the Knight Order. My piety score was a rare full mark. I believe Your Grace must have my file in your hands; you can verify it when you return."
"If it was a full mark, why—"
Sitting beside Karen, Alfred's breathing suddenly quickened, excitement coursing through him at the topic. Was this bishop going to debate faith with his young master?
"Because the path of faith has no end. I believe in Order, yet I have also strayed onto wrong paths. I once thought myself righteous, only to realize some time later how radical and muddled I had been. I do not feel discouraged by this; on the contrary, I feel joy with every realization. After all, if everyone could so easily hold faith in Order in their hearts and let their actions be guided purely by those inner convictions, wouldn't the ideal blueprint that countless predecessors of our Church of Order fought their entire lives for be far too simple?"
"So, Captain Karen, are you telling me that it was only because Inquisitor Pavaro died that you resolved to take his place and continue the investigation against Adjudicator Vicolai?"
"Yes. His death moved me. I had originally thought to wait until the winds shifted in our favor, until the environment grew more hospitable, before cooperating with Inquisitor Pavaro to investigate this matter. Only after Inquisitor Pavaro died did I realize that if I merely sat and waited, a favorable wind and a better environment would never arrive on their own. All of this requires me, and a large group of people, to step forward proactively and strive to create it."
"And to create that environment, you would strive to make certain changes, correct?"
"Yes, precisely."
"Captain Karen, do you feel that it is precisely because the Whip of Order currently lacks sufficient authority that such an environment came to be? In your heart, do you believe that so long as the authority of the Whip of Order is restored, the environment will improve?"
"Defense counsel, mind your statements," Gaspol warned.
"Understood, Presiding Judge."
"I believe everything has two sides," Karen said. "However, as someone walking the path of faith in Order, at least for now, I believe that if the Whip of Order can regain a portion of its former authority, it will indeed play a vital role in cleansing the atmosphere within the church."
"Very well, I understand." Bishop Bourne shifted his gaze toward Vic. "In the evidence chain presented earlier, the defense finds both the first and third points highly improper. First, the defense does not agree that Adjudicator Vicolai stole Inquisitor Pavaro's credit. At the time, the Regional Administrative Office investigated and categorized the matter, and even conducted follow-up inquiries. Moreover, Inquisitor Pavaro received a portion of the merit; at the time, Inquisitor Pavaro was even promoted in grade, if I remember correctly?"
"Yes, that is correct."
"Therefore, Inquisitor Pavaro himself tacitly accepted this outcome. He chose not to reasonably exercise the authority granted to him by the church to defend his legitimate interests. Consequently, now that he is dead, attempting to overturn an outcome he personally acknowledged is, in my view, both inappropriate and unreasonable. Furthermore, the issues involved here are exceedingly complex. For example, when a squad accomplishes a mission together and rewards are distributed, if the captain or a particular member receives the lion's share, the others feel slighted. But who is truly right and who is wrong? Can an outsider tell them apart? It is inherently an unsettled account. Judging from Inquisitor Pavaro's choice back then, at most I can concede that they cracked the Qihe case together through cooperation, and Inquisitor Pavaro may have complained to you in private that the distribution of credit was somewhat unfair."
It had to be said that Bishop Bourne was truly a master of shifting concepts.
With just a few sentences, he had reframed Vicolai's shameless theft of Inquisitor Pavaro's credit into a mere dispute over credit distribution between two men. He turned a black-and-white matter into the sort of gray compromise everyone took for granted.
All of his arguments sidestepped the concrete clues, including Pavaro's investigative notes and his suicide note. Rather than denying these pieces of evidence outright, he conceded them while gutting their efficacy to the absolute limit.
Most importantly, Bishop Bourne dared to do this because he had reviewed the case dossier. Everyone involved in the Qihe case was already dead; even the fleeing adjudicator had been killed during the manhunt.
Yet at the root of it all, the one who had completed that transaction with Vicolai had been Karen, who had only just put on Pavaro's mask. In that environment, having only just acquired his new identity in an unfamiliar and sensitive setting, Karen had been forced to adopt a conservative approach when facing Vicolai.
Back then, the real Inquisitor Pavaro was already dead.
"Furthermore, regarding this suicide note..." Bishop Bourne pointed at Vic. "I have seen the copy of its contents. I found it very sincere and deeply moving. Inquisitor Pavaro's character is vivid and well-defined within it. However, a suicide note like this, or investigative notes like those, present no difficulty whatsoever when it comes to forgery."
Karen spoke up. "Your Grace, you are welcome to formally challenge the evidence on grounds of doubt."
"Heh, I am merely stating my honest thoughts." Bishop Bourne smiled. "Moreover, I have indeed read your resume, Captain Karen. You claim to be exceptional. Yes, I would even go so far as to say that refusing to acknowledge your excellence would be a denial of most of the young people in our church today. During the Trial of the Gates of Samsara, your entire team returned. During the Moon God Church security operation, when the Moon God's Divine Son was assassinated, your entire team returned. In the Order Observation Delegation, amidst the battlefield between Samsara and the Moon God, your entire team returned. After drifting across the sea for so long, your entire team returned. On Fire Island recently, when chaos erupted and a Cerberus went berserk, rampaging across the island, your entire team still returned intact. As a squad leader, serving under you must be a true blessing, and you indeed possess the qualities of an outstanding leader. So please tell me... why was Inquisitor Pavaro, whose entire family lived with you, silenced so simply and easily?"
Karen replied, "That was my negligence."
"Negligence? I do not agree." Bishop Bourne turned toward everyone in the gallery. "Furthermore, I have another question. According to the case presentation just given by this gentleman..."
Bishop Bourne pointed toward Alfred.
"This gentleman clearly stated in his presentation that after the credit for the Qihe case was distributed, Adjudicator Vicolai developed murderous intent toward Inquisitor Pavaro. That was the meaning, was it not?"
Alfred stood up and answered, "Yes, precisely. During interrogation, Adjudicator Vicolai personally admitted as much."
"Oh, is that so?" Bishop Bourne chuckled again. "Then why did our Adjudicator Vicolai wait for so long?"
Karen replied, "Because I lived in the Pavaro Inquisitorial Office."
"Oh, yes, because our Captain Karen is just that exceptional!" Bishop Bourne's voice rose slightly. "Out of fear of you, Adjudicator Vicolai never made a move against Inquisitor Pavaro. He felt that making a move against Inquisitor Pavaro, who lived under the same roof as you, would bring uncontrollable trouble upon himself, isn't that right?"
"Yes."
"Then why, today, when Captain Karen's status has risen higher, your authority has grown greater, and your fame has spread wider, did Adjudicator Vicolai suddenly decide to silence him? He didn't kill him before; he waited all this time, only to strike now, when you, Karen, have become the Action Captain of the Disciplinary Supervision Office. Has he lost his mind?"
Karen remained silent.
Vic's heart skipped a beat. In fact, he had noticed this very issue while assembling the evidence chain: Inquisitor Pavaro should never have been included in this.
Since they had already set aside the matter between Vicolai and Richard, why couldn't they set Inquisitor Pavaro aside as well?
If they wanted to arrange someone to file a report, wouldn't arranging a living person have been far more suitable?
If someone with his level of professional training could spot this vulnerability instantly, it was only natural that Bishop Bourne would see it too.
However, Vic had not raised the issue before because he had realized that within this squad, the captain's authority could not be questioned. Of course, the main reason was that he was a newcomer and didn't want to seem out of place.
"Furthermore, Inquisitor Pavaro died—oh no, according to Captain Karen's words, he was silenced. His body couldn't even be found, completely burned away. Was the destruction of evidence thorough? Not quite, for he left behind a photograph of his twin daughters. Heh."
Bishop Bourne tapped his temple with a finger and declared loudly, "Captain Karen, don't you think all of this is simply too coincidental?"
Karen continued his silence.
Bishop Bourne turned toward Gaspol and said, "Presiding Judge, I request permission to supplement our side's evidence and ask the court to verify it."
"Granted."
Bishop Bourne produced a file, handed it to the clerk, and said, "The behind-the-scenes operator and true owner of that establishment was Enzo, Head of the Law Enforcement Department at our regional Whip of Order headquarters. He colluded with the Whip of Order prison to funnel inmates into the establishment as dishes for people to consume. Here is the investigative evidence provided by our regional Law Enforcement Department, along with proof of the illicit kickbacks. Furthermore, Department Head Enzo's family has already been taken into custody by our regional Law Enforcement Department, and they can serve as witnesses to provide insider testimony on the matter. Unfortunately, however, this Department Head Enzo was assassinated on the street last night. The assassin even ran right to the front door of Adjudicator Vicolai's home, shouting that Bishop Dolph was the mastermind behind it all.
"Now, everything is clear to us.
"The one who investigated Adjudicator Vicolai and was subsequently silenced—the Inquisitor Pavaro who supposedly triggered this entire investigation and this very trial—lived under the same roof as our Captain Karen.
"The establishment where Adjudicator Vicolai was allegedly feeding on believers was opened by the Head of the Whip of Order's Law Enforcement Department and received kickbacks from the Whip of Order's prison.
"Adjudicator Vicolai was arrested in full view of a crowd on the first floor of the Church Affairs Building. That caused an enormous stir, and it is one of the primary reasons today's trial has drawn so many eyes.
"Yet very few people know that the reason Adjudicator Vicolai went to the Church Affairs Building that day was to resolve a conflict with a young man named Richard. And that young man named Richard happens to be a subordinate of our Captain Karen.
"I will say no more on the rest. But every single charge the Whip of Order has pinned on Adjudicator Vicolai is inextricably tied to Captain Karen.
"Is it a coincidence?
"Who could possibly know?
"Yet the greatest coincidence of all is that the Whip of Order's prosecutor today happens to be you, Captain Karen."
Karen spoke up. "Your Grace, a court of law deals in evidence, not speculation and innuendo."
"Oh, yes, of course. But I truly cannot comprehend these coincidences. Everything is a coincidence? Is that possible?" Bishop Bourne took several steps back, raised his hand, and pointed at Karen. "Captain Karen, I believe you are an outstanding young man. Truly. From the moment I picked up your file and read it the first time, I felt genuinely glad that our Church of Order possessed such a remarkable youth. However, a young man must not be overly hasty. Haste leads to ruin. Perhaps in your eyes, you wish to see the authority of the Whip of Order elevated within the region. I can grant that your motives stem from a desire for the public good, but your methods and means are wrong. Young people should conduct themselves with honor and uprightness rather than relying on underhanded tricks that cannot bear the light of day. Because the moment you begin using such methods, that original intention is no longer clean!
"I am terrified as well. I fear that if the Whip of Order investigates cases this way in the future, whenever they believe someone is guilty, they can simply fabricate a mountain of coincidental evidence to forcefully convict that person. It is hard to imagine what terrifying state our Church of Order would fall into if that day ever truly came. The church would be dragged into the abyss—truly!"
Bishop Bourne's voice echoed through the tribunal hall. Before his overwhelming presence, everyone around him—even the presiding judge—seemed suppressed, to say nothing of Karen, who faced him head-on.
Whether seated in the gallery or watching the live broadcast, people could not help but pity this young man from the Whip of Order who seemed completely at a loss.
Karen picked up the cup on the table and took a sip of water.
Vic spun the fountain pen in his hand nervously, filled with regret. He regretted trying so hard to blend in; he should have pointed this out sooner.
Alfred picked up the small thermal flask by his feet, fished out some ice cubes, and dropped them into Karen's cup.
In the VIP gallery, Bishop Dolph clenched his fist and pumped it downward in excitement.
Beside him, Chief Bishop Wolflen also curled his lips into a smile. However, his delight differed from Dolph's. Like Bourne and the other bishops, he did not care in the slightest whether Vicolai lived or died; if circumstances permitted, having one fewer person named Norton among the bishop circle was something they would be glad to see.
Whether Vicolai was found innocent, guilty, or convicted of a minor or major crime, as long as this matter was elevated into a political struggle, the regional office would win, and the Whip of Order would lose.
Aside from his grandfather, who truly cared whether Vicolai lived or died?
Wolflen lifted his teacup, took a sip, and maintained a serene composure.
In the general gallery, Delon's expression darkened. He had not been heavily involved earlier, so he had not grasped the evidence chain in advance. But now he had a burning question: out of the three elements composing the prosecution's case, dropping Pavaro and relying solely on the second element would have been enough to condemn Vicolai to death anyway. Why insist on adding Pavaro?
Delon did not know whether there was truly an issue with this narrative about Pavaro; he only knew it was superfluous. Not only was it superfluous, but it had also handed the opponent a breach to launch continuous attacks.
Earlier, Delon had thought Karen's response was brilliant, but now he felt Karen's arrangement had been far too naive. He had underestimated the Regional Administrative Office.
"It feels like the tables have turned again," Philomena said to Richard. "They really seized on the matter regarding Inquisitor Pavaro."
"Yeah. Now it depends on how Karen counters."
"Do you have that much confidence in him?"
"Yes. When he told me to kneel on the first floor, I didn't hesitate for a second."
"Why?"
"Sometimes in life, encountering someone you're willing to trust unconditionally is a kind of happiness."
"I cannot comprehend such happiness."
***
"Neo, I recall that when I cautioned you, you told me there were no issues with this evidence chain."
Facing Bernie's inquiry, Neo could not say that this had been Karen's insistence. He could only reply, "It was my oversight."
"You trust this subordinate of yours too much. He is still young, after all."
Neo remained silent.
***
"Captain Karen, are you married?"
"No."
"Mm. So you currently live with Mr. Pavaro's widow and his pair of twin daughters, correct?"
"Yes."
"I also heard that Inquisitor Pavaro was rarely home, is that right?"
"Yes." Karen looked at Bishop Bourne. "Your Grace has certainly heard quite a lot."
"Heh, I also heard another detail. Mr. Pavaro's widow and those twin daughters are very... very beautiful."
Gaspol said in a heavy voice, "Defense counsel, the court issues you a warning."
"My apologies, Presiding Judge. A slip of the tongue."
Karen looked at Bishop Bourne and asked, "What exactly are you trying to say, Your Grace?"
"Nothing in particular. Merely a normal speculation that any ordinary person might make when viewing this matter. For example, someone became an eyesore. It could be that you found Inquisitor Pavaro an eyesore, or that Inquisitor Pavaro found you an eyesore. Thus, people who are irrelevant, or who no longer have any remaining value, can be tossed into the recycling station to extract their final bit of utility. Isn't Yorktown currently constructing a waste-to-energy incineration plant? Take Inquisitor Pavaro, for example: solved, yet also utilized. How convenient, isn't it?"
"Defense counsel, watch your words!"
"Presiding Judge, I am merely mounting a normal defense from the perspective of Adjudicator Vicolai. I believe what I have said bears an extremely close relationship to this case."
***
In the gallery.
Ashley clenched her fists in fury, spitting through gritted teeth, "What absolute nonsense is this bishop spouting!"
Blanche nodded in agreement.
Muri sighed and said, "He is deliberately smearing him. He's using the live broadcast to sway public opinion on a larger scale. Many people lack critical thinking; the moment they hear something salacious like this, they immediately take sides."
Bart said, "Yes, and they'll start shouting, 'I never expected you to be this kind of person; I was truly blind.'"
"This will be tricky," Muri said with concern. "I'm worried that after this trial concludes, regardless of the specific verdict, the backlash against the captain's reputation won't die down."
Ventura spoke up. "I just think the captain is going to be very angry."
***
Bishop Bourne's gaze remained calm. He did not feel his rhetorical manipulation was particularly despicable; he had done far more despicable things in his life, and his own son still hated him to this day.
He was curious to see how this young man before him would react. Would he be crushed just like that?
*Sigh.* If that happened, it would be somewhat of a pity.
Still, if he were abandoned by the Whip of Order as a result, Bourne could absorb him into his own ranks and train him personally. His temperament was still somewhat ill-suited for the Whip of Order—at least ill-suited for the Whip of Order at this moment.
Karen was not angry. Instead, he quietly took another sip of water.
He knew full well that in the eyes of those present and those watching the broadcast, his frequent drinking of water appeared to be a guilty attempt to mask his fluster after being driven into a corner.
Yet he did not care.
Holding his cup, Karen turned, leaving the spot where he had been standing all along, and walked over toward Bishop Bourne.
Bishop Bourne looked at him with a smile.
Karen said, "Your Grace's speculation is quite brilliant. Yes, Mrs. Lake—meaning Inquisitor Pavaro's wife—is indeed a very beautiful lady. Especially when she cares for her two daughters, I see the strength and greatness of a mother in her. Your Grace, I know a little about your past, and I believe you to be a remarkable person as well."
Bishop Bourne replied, "Thank you."
"However, I wager you have never experienced the desperation of being weighed down by a mere few hundred points, have you?"
Bishop Bourne turned to the presiding judge and said, "Objection. The prosecution is addressing matters irrelevant to this case."
Gaspol stated, "Objection overruled."
As the presiding judge, she had to do something to demonstrate that this was still a tribunal belonging to the Whip of Order.
Besides, Bourne had brought up plenty of irrelevant matters earlier himself.
Not a hint of disappointment appeared on Bishop Bourne's face. He continued to smile at Karen and replied, "Indeed, I have not."
"Yet I have witnessed it," Karen said. "A father who, while pursuing an aberrant demon years ago, caused his twin daughters to be targeted in retaliation and contaminated. Later, that father clearly possessed other means to raise points and purchase potions to suppress their contamination. All he needed to do was lower his dignity a little, compromise his faith just a touch, and points would have been delivered right to his doorstep.
"Yet he chose not to do so. He chose his own way, constantly taking on missions to treat his two daughters.
"At night, when the potions ran out and the contamination tortured his two daughters so much that they buried their faces in their pillows to weep, that father could only stand by the door, weeping silently alone.
"His body was covered in bruises, scratched and pinched by his wife. His wife could not understand her husband's actions; as a mother, she only knew that her daughters were enduring agonizing pain.
"Your Grace, do you know what sight greeted me the first time I saw Inquisitor Pavaro's two daughters?
"Let me describe it to you.
"And let me describe it to everyone in this hall who is so concerned, everyone who is already imagining how gorgeous and beautiful those twin daughters must be.
"Their bodies were covered everywhere in rotting flesh. The bed they lay upon had to be wrapped in a layer of oilcloth during the day because pus constantly dripped from their bodies.
"When I first saw them, they were sitting obediently on the bed, playing with stickers.
"I brought a dose of medicine that had been interrupted for a long time. When it came time to bathe them, their mother peeled the clothes from their bodies... right before my eyes.
"Their clothes were very thin, but even so, the fabric still adhered to the rotting flesh.
"Right before my eyes, their clothes were stripped away, and they were lifted into the wooden tub for their medicinal bath.
"Not the slightest attempt was made to conceal anything. Because anyone with even a shred of conscience at that moment could not possibly harbor the slightest sinful desire in their mind."
Bishop Bourne sighed inwardly. He did not understand why Karen was still entangling himself with this. The wisest choice would have been to steer clear of Pavaro and focus the attack entirely on the second charge—what Vicolai had done in that establishment.
This young man was still letting his emotions get the better of him.
"Yet, Captain Karen, according to what I've heard, those twins have recovered quite well now. Where, then, do the potions they require currently come from?"
"I pay the points."
"Then that mother and her daughters must be exceedingly grateful to you, Captain Karen."
"Yes, indeed. Mrs. Lake mentioned just a few days ago that she intended to knit a sweater for me. I told her I prefer a black turtleneck."
"Then why was Mr. Pavaro still constantly taking on missions outside to earn points instead of staying home? That makes no sense."
"Because there is a kind of person in this world who firmly abides by his convictions. He was unwilling to owe me a personal favor."
"Oh, so that's how it is." Bishop Bourne shook his head. *Sigh, the more you try to paint it, the darker you make it.*
Karen stepped past Bishop Bourne, walked up to the iron cage, and looked at Vicolai locked inside.
Vicolai was looking back at Karen, that trademark, utterly foolish sneer plastered across his lips.
"I read the report the defendant published in the *Order Weekly*," Karen said. "So I now wish to ask the defendant: do you still maintain that you did not steal Inquisitor Pavaro's credit?"
"Of course I didn't! He merely gathered a bit of peripheral intel at my instruction. In truth, it didn't play much of a role at all."
Karen asked, "Where did the Qihe case take place?"
"A sausage factory. Below the sausage factory, the fallen Jurist Qihe set up a breeding pen, where he imprisoned many girls to conduct evil rituals."
"That night, down beneath that sausage factory, the contamination was about to erupt. Did you know that?"
"Of course I knew! Because I was right there in the sausage factory. I was the one who exposed Qihe's disguise, driving him into a furious rampage. I knew that doing so meant risking my life, but for the Order in my heart, I went forward without hesitation."
"Yet, defendant, you couldn't even defeat a single formation master under my command."
"My body was injured during the process of handling the Qihe case! That very night, right there in the sausage factory! If the people from the Law Enforcement Department hadn't arrived in time, I might have already died at Qihe's hands!"
"Was Inquisitor Pavaro not present that night?"
"Him? How could he possibly have been there!"
Bishop Bourne frowned slightly. He did not want Karen and Vicolai conversing too much under these circumstances, because he knew full well how stupid Vicolai was.
Yet he had no way to stop it. As the prosecutor, Karen possessed far greater legal standing to question the defendant at this moment.
As for whose credit the Qihe case truly was, Bishop Bourne had a fair idea in his heart. But it didn't matter. Everyone involved in the case back then was already dead.
"You are lying, defendant. Because that night, you were not in the sausage factory at all. The one present was Inquisitor Pavaro."
"Heh." Vicolai was just about to retort when he caught the stern glare Bishop Bourne directed at him, and he instantly shut his mouth.
Bishop Bourne walked over as well, saying, "Did Inquisitor Pavaro tell you that as well, Captain Karen? I am truly curious: just how many more stories have you fabricated from the perspective of a dead man? Just how much further must our poor Inquisitor Pavaro be exploited by you? Moreover, the dossier of the Qihe case was reviewed by the Regional Administrative Office at the time, and the rewards were certified and distributed. Everything complied with standard regulations and procedures."
"You misunderstand, Your Grace. Inquisitor Pavaro did not tell me this."
"Oh? Then who told you?"
"In truth, no one told me."
"Haha, Captain Karen isn't going to say you were at the scene that night as well, are you?"
In truth, there was a misconception regarding Karen's resume.
Anyone who studied Karen's file and deduced things based on the timeline would fall into this misconception.
That was: after Karen obtained his servant certificate at the Church Affairs Building, he immediately became an external member of a Whip of Order squad.
Connecting that to Karen's subsequent trajectory within the Whip of Order system and his current post, any normal person would assume that Karen had originally intended to enter a Whip of Order squad, and merely registered under the Pavaro Inquisitorial Office as a procedural formality.
This was a very common practice; many people did the same when arranging for their family's younger generation to gain practical experience.
Yet Karen happened to be the exception. By a stroke of chance, he had met Neo and been recruited by him as an external member of the Hound Squad. That day, Neo had even given him a plastic ring—the kind that snapped the moment you bent it.
Even though Karen had stated earlier that he had crossed paths with Pavaro beforehand, to outside ears, that sounded like nothing more than a polite explanation to make his formal affiliation appear less abrupt.
Karen nodded and replied, "Your Grace guessed correctly. That night, I was indeed at the scene, together with Inquisitor Pavaro."
With that, Karen pointed at Vicolai. "That night, I did not see the defendant's shadow."
"Hahaha." Bishop Bourne chuckled. "So after weaving together so many coincidences, our Captain Karen is still not satisfied. Now you wish to personally step into the arena and write yourself into the evidence?"
"I am not fabricating anything. That night, I was truly there."
"Very well, then who can prove it? What witness, or what physical evidence?"
Bishop Bourne spread his hands. Everyone involved in the case was dead, after all.
A faint smile appeared at the corners of Karen's lips. He lowered his head and took a sip of iced water.
Weaving Pavaro's existence into the evidence chain was indeed intended to secure the honor Pavaro rightfully deserved.
Yet that was by no means the only reason.
Karen had known from the start that arbitrarily adding a charge could very well become a flaw.
However, sometimes a flaw could just be a flaw, but when the opponent focused their entire attack on it, that flaw could turn into a mousetrap snapping shut on the opponent's hand.
Karen had structured the prosecution's case around three points, which represented three attack vectors; breaking just one could dismantle the rest. Bishop Bourne had seized upon the matter of Inquisitor Pavaro to strike, aiming to overturn the other points through this single breach and cast the entire case as a political conspiracy.
By the same token, Karen could employ the exact same method. So long as he could firmly establish just one of the three charges, he could overturn all of Bishop Bourne's earlier arguments and completely crush Vicolai.
When this trial drew so many eyes, became entangled with factional power struggles, and was being broadcast live across the entire church, its nature had fundamentally shifted. It had become something akin to an exhibition debate.
Any evidence here could be smeared, trivialized, and marginalized; these were standard debating tactics.
Unless one could produce an undeniable piece of ironclad proof that would instantly convince the opponent, the people in the gallery, everyone watching the trial, and the entire church that learned of this later, leaving them utterly speechless.
Fortunately, Karen possessed such proof. And this was the true reason why he had discarded Richard's grievance yet stubbornly insisted on forcing Inquisitor Pavaro's case into the charges.
Bishop Bourne pressed, "Where is the evidence? A witness or physical proof? Captain Karen, why have you gone silent?"
Karen replied, "I have a piece of physical evidence."
"Sigh, physical evidence? I had thought you might produce a witness. Though I guessed you might call forth someone from within your Whip of Order as a witness, Adjudicator Vicolai happens to have witnesses from the Law Enforcement Department on his side. What a pity you only have physical evidence. And physical evidence cannot speak."
"My physical evidence can speak."
"Oh? Physical evidence that can speak? Now that is truly a novelty, haha."
"Because it is a divine artifact."
Bishop Bourne froze.
Vicolai froze.
The gallery froze.
Almost everyone watching the trial's progress on the screens froze in place.
Karen turned, faced Presiding Judge Gaspol, and declared:
"I request the Presiding Judge's permission to supplement a piece of physical evidence before this court—the divine artifact, the Laks copper coin!"
Chapter 517