"High Cleric Sander, your lies are completely groundless! The Bishop of Domination has always been the supreme powerhouse of the Northern Continent. Lady Sigrid's strength and wisdom are beyond question!"
Direct Retainer Gloria struck back immediately, her voice brimming with anger.
"What we need is an ally at full strength, capable of shouldering great responsibilities for the Empire. Lady Sigrid, if you truly concealed this, it would be an act of utter irresponsibility toward the Empire! It would also destroy the Resurrection Church's reputation and trust within the Protos Empire!"
Direct Retainer Sander of the Extinction Branch paid Gloria no heed, directing his spearhead squarely at Sigrid.
"If the Bishop of Domination has a clear conscience, do you dare accept my challenge? Let us see if you can kill me in an instant as everyone expects, or if even against a Tier 6 like me, you would be forced into a bitter struggle!"
"You think you're worthy of raising a hand against the Bishop?"
The high clerics of the Domination branch shot to their feet, their chairs scraping back with a jarring clatter. They clearly would not tolerate such an insulting challenge; their glares warned Sander that if he wanted a fight, they would gladly play with him first.
Amidst this hair-trigger standoff, the nobles and ministers began whispering furiously among themselves.
The Franklin Parliamentary Hall filled with voices of shock, suspicion, and debate. Some faces showed astonishment, while others reflected worry.
Their gazes shifted back and forth between Bishop of Domination Sigrid and Bishop of Extinction Askesan, trying to glean more information from their expressions and body language.
On a matter that touched upon the very foundation of cooperation between the Empire and the Resurrection Church, even Isis cast a glance in their direction.
Earlier, Sigrid could have responded with silence, as the truth had yet to be verified and subsequent investigations could be left to the military.
Yet the Extinction Branch likely had not made an empty claim without grounds. As the strongest warrior, proving she was in peak condition would have been exceedingly simple for Sigrid; if the Extinction Branch's words were slander, she could have slapped them down in an instant.
"My cultivation is approaching the final barrier of a bottleneck, so my condition has naturally undergone some shifts. It is not suitable for me to unleash my full might in the short term. However, that does not mean I have grown weaker. If anyone wishes to see whether I still possess the peak power of a Cardinal, find someone sturdy enough to withstand a single all-out blow from me."
Bishop of Domination Sigrid maintained an unhurried poise, answering with a calm expression.
Her piercing gaze swept across the hall, instantly silencing the nobles and ministers.
It was as though she were asking: *Do you want to fight me?*
Even though not a shred of oppressive aura radiated from her at this moment, the mere presence of the Bishop of Domination struck terror into the souls of most ordinary people.
As living beings, it was the gulf between a colossus and an ant.
Without the protective barrier around the hall and Great Sage Isis seated there, taking anyone's head would have cost the Bishop of Domination nothing more than a fraction of a second.
Sigrid's reply and sheer intimidation briefly settled the mood within the hall.
The murmurs of the nobles and ministers grew quiet, their perplexed eyes once again fixed upon both the Extinction Branch and the Domination branch.
Perhaps the Extinction Branch had caught wind of intelligence regarding Sigrid's cultivation and fabricated this lie to strike a devastating blow at the critical moment.
Yet whether it was true or false, no one could reach a definitive conclusion right now.
Throughout all of this, Isis sat quietly. Her expression remained impassive, yet her bearing betrayed a profound understanding and mastery of the situation—
As long as she remained silent, it meant those below were permitted to continue.
The Domination branch and the Extinction Branch remained locked in a stalemate.
Unafraid of the pressure radiating from the gathered Domination high clerics, Direct Retainer Sander was about to speak again when a hand rested on his shoulder.
"Enough, Sander. Any further would be impolite."
Bishop of Extinction Askesan stood up. He was tall, his dark-gray eyes like an abyss capable of drowning those who looked into them, causing their souls to lose their way.
Merely hearing Askesan's voice sent an inexplicable chill down the spines of the ordinary mortals present; it exuded an aura of absolute danger.
"Sigrid, stop bullying these youngsters. If you want to prove your strength, I can spar with you."
Askesan's voice was placid, like shifting sands of time pouring from his mouth, every word imbued with irresistible magic.
"Yamiles, you have no objection, do you?"
He turned his gaze toward Bishop of Mourning Yamiles on the other side, who had remained silent all along.
Many nobles in the hall likewise looked toward the Bishop of Mourning seated directly across from Isis.
From the very beginning, the Bishop of Mourning had not uttered a single word.
She wore vestments of black and deep purple silk embroidered with the patterns of the Holy Sigil symbolizing the tide of death and eternal tears. Though one could clearly see her features, it felt nearly impossible to remember what she actually looked like.
Yamiles herself was not a Cardinal particularly active along the southern coast of the Northern Continent; more often than not, she served as an internal affairs bishop assisting the Pope with coordination.
Although her reputation was just as foul as any other Cardinal's, it was not quite as notoriously terrifying as Askesan's.
Even so, everyone knew that anyone capable of ascending to the rank of Cardinal in the Resurrection Church was by no means an entity to be lightly provoked.
"Do as you please," Bishop of Mourning Yamiles answered curtly.
Askesan watched Sigrid with a faint smile, deeply intrigued by how she would respond next.
"..."
Sigrid said nothing.
"What is the matter, Sigrid? Normally you are so eager to fight to the death with me, yet now that you have an opportunity where I step forward voluntarily, you shrink back?" Askesan pressed.
"I said that it is not suitable for me to act right now; it would disrupt my cultivation progress. A month from now, if you still dare accept the challenge, I guarantee I will put a definitive end to our grievances. When that time comes, do not flee like a coward as you always have."
Sigrid's voice was sharp as a blade, dripping with contempt for Askesan.
"Hahahaha!"
Upon hearing this, Askesan threw his head back in laughter.
"That is the funniest joke I have ever heard! The Bishop of Domination, Sigrid, has actually learned forbearance... Ladies and gentlemen of the Protos Empire, do you find this normal? Do you truly believe she is still the Bishop of Domination who possessed absolute confidence in her own might?"
When Askesan looked back at Sigrid, his eyes turned cold bit by bit, sending a silent message to her:
*Today's bishop election is the grave prepared especially for you.*
No matter who that damned Holy Son of Domination truly was, and no matter what hasty preparations he had made over this brief month, none of it mattered—it would not help Sigrid in the slightest!
Chapter 469